| Summary: | The Batek Negrito is one of the Orang Asli groups who primarily inhabit the rainforest in
Peninsular Malaysia. This paper attempts to discuss the unique relationship of the Batek with
the forest, their daily sustainability practices and their perceptions of development. Arguing
that the forest is their native lands, this study also focuses on the impacts of the national park
on livelihoods of the aborigines. The data were collected from in-depth interviews with Batek
respondents and participant observations at one of the Orang Asli settlements, Kampung
Dedari. The findings reveal that the livings of the Batek people were highly inseparably
linked to the forest; the forest is their true home with great dependence on the forest resources
which they also claimed as their ‘supermarket’. Not just important for food subsistence, it has
been found that the forest also shapes their customs, traditions, and beliefs about the spirits of
the nature. They also regard themselves as the ‘wildlife’ of the jungle whose protect the
natural resources in their care. Although the ecotourism development surrounding Kampung
Dedari has been benefiting the Batek in term of economic returns, at the same time it has also
put pressure on their natural living environment. Hence, understanding how they
communicating their sustainability practices can contribute to even greater understanding of
local sustainability discourse which could help preserves the cultural rights of the aborigines,
their ‘supermarket’ and the national park, at the same time.
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